A late September paddle down the Colorado from the Loma boat ramp in western Colorado to the Westwater Ranger Station in eastern Utah has been an annual RMCC event for at least a dozen years. Each year varies as to number of participants, type of paddlecraft, campsite, weather, river flow, fall color, etc. But each is a wonderful experience in its own way and 2023 was no exception.
Ten paddlers in six boats (4 tandem canoes, a solo canoe, and a solo rec kayak) got an early start from the Loma boat ramp on Sunday Sept 24 and arrived at the Split Rock campsite (river mile 15) by 3pm under a gorgeous cloud-free fall day. This section is also called Ruby Horsethief though in fact as you proceed downstream you pass first through Horsethief and then Ruby Canyons.
We chose a Sunday launch as Saturday campsites have become virtually unobtainable under the heavily-gamed Wreck.gov permitting system. Fortunately, the 3800 cfs flow and four to five mph current made the large Split Rock site, just upstream from Black Rocks, very doable for our mixed flotilla.
Along with the usual riverside suspects (bald eagles, merganzers, great blue herons, cliff swallows), towards the end of the second day we also saw river otters and wild turkeys.
A highlight of the long evening was a campfire started by Doug Hurcomb using a presentation flint and steel firestarter made by Henry Williams, our esteemed resident wood-turner.
Thanks to Randy, David, and Pat for the trip photos.
Respectfully submitted
Bill Ashworth, trip coordinator
